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Students recognized for service and achievement at Class Day

Posted June 1, 2009; 02:19 p.m.

by Emily Aronson

Members of Princeton's class of 2009 gathered on Cannon Green Monday, June 1, to celebrate the conclusion of their undergraduate careers in a Class Day ceremony honoring their service and accomplishments.

The Harold Willis Dodds Prize was awarded to Sarah Dajani of Seminole, Fla., and Fiona Miller of Florence, Mass. The award recognizes seniors who best embody the qualities of Princeton's 15th president, Harold Dodds, "particularly in the qualities of clear thinking, moral courage, a patient and judicious regard for the opinions of others, and a thorough devotion to the welfare of the University and to the life of the mind." Dajani helped foster dialogue between different religious and cultural groups on campus as president of the Muslim Students Association. A Woodrow Wilson School major, Dajani was a member of the Religious Life Council and the University's Priorities Committee. She also wrote for The Daily Princetonian student newspaper as a reporter and opinion columnist. Miller, a comparative literature major, has been a leader in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. She helped organize events such as Pride Week and National Coming Out Day, was an officer for the student organization Pride Alliance and was a peer educator on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Miller also was the head fellow at the Princeton Writing Program and an Outdoor Action trip leader.

Emily Weigel of Lafayette, Colo., received the Allen Macy Dulles '51 Award, which is presented to a senior whose activities while at Princeton best represent or exemplify the University's informal motto: "Princeton in the nation's service and in the service of all nations." Weigel worked closely with service group leaders on campus as a member of the Pace Center Advisory Board. She served as director of Interact, an organization that tutors and mentors students from Trenton, N.J., and also was a language tutor for non-English speaking immigrants. Weigel also was co-director of Brother's Keeper, an organization that promotes awareness of genocide, by organizing speakers series and other events on campus. An English major, Weigel also was a member of the International Relations Council and the Tigressions a cappella group, and a peer academic adviser in Butler College.

The Frederick Douglass Award was given to Adam Berry, an economics major from Bel Air, Md. The award, established in 1969 by the Association of Black Collegians, recognizes a senior who has exhibited leadership, intellectual achievement and a willingness to contribute unselfishly toward a deeper understanding of racial minorities and who, in doing so, reflects the tradition of service embodied at Princeton. Berry was a wide receiver on the varsity football team for four years and served as team captain. He also worked with the Department of Athletics to improve recruiting strategies for black student-athletes. Berry has been a participant in IGNITE, an organization whose purpose is to motivate inner-city youth to achieve academically and to pursue a college education. He also is a member of the Black Student Union's Leadership and Mentoring Program and Impact Christian Fellowship, and also serves as a "big sibling" with the Student Volunteers Council.

Grant Bermann of Princeton, N.J., received the W. Sanderson Detwiler 1903 Prize. The award is given to the senior, who in the judgment of his or her classmates, has done the most for the class. Bermann was class president for all four of his undergraduate years. A comparative literature major, Bermann also was a member of the Honor Committee for four years and was an actor in the French theater workshop L'Avant-Scène.

The Class of 1901 Medal was awarded to Josh Weinstein of New York City. The medal goes to the senior, who in the judgment of his or her classmates, has done the most for Princeton. Weinstein was active in the Undergraduate Student Government, serving as president, vice president and senator. An East Asian studies major, Weinstein participated in the Princeton in Beijing program. He also was a member of the club ice hockey team and the chess club.

The Priscilla Glickman '92 Memorial Prize was given to Dexter Doyle of Silver Spring, Md. The award honors "independence and imagination in the area of service." A computer science major, Doyle was active with the Student Volunteers Council, managing a group of students who volunteered weekly at Anchor House in Trenton, a shelter for runaway, homeless and abused youth. Doyle also helped organize a Community Action program for incoming freshmen who volunteered at Anchor House. He spent two summers as a service intern for Joy of Sports, an organization that uses sports as a means for directing at-risk youth on a safer path. An accomplished disc jockey, Doyle also was president of BlackBox Inc., which organizes parties for students, and was an alternate residential college adviser in Forbes College.

Athletic Awards

Cary Malkiewich of Worcester, Mass., received the Class of 1916 Cup, which is presented to the senior varsity letter winner with the highest academic standing. It was given by the class of 1916 on the occasion of its 50th reunion. Malkiewich, a mathematics major, is a four-year member of the men's heavyweight crew team.

The William Winston Roper Trophy was shared by: Lee Jubinville, an economics major from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Mark Kovler, an economics major from Washington, D.C.; Doug Lennox, an anthropology major from Lake Forest, Ill.; Michael Maag, an economics major from Lake Oswego, Ore.; and Mauricio Sanchez, an economics major from Mexico City. The award goes to "a male senior of high scholastic rank and outstanding qualities of sportsmanship and general proficiency in athletics." Jubinville led the men's hockey team in scoring during two of his four seasons, including his junior year in which he helped guide Princeton to the Ivy League and Eastern College Athletic Conference championships, and to the team's first NCAA tournament appearance in 10 years. He was named the 2007-08 Player of the Year for the Ivy League and the ECAC -- the first Princeton player to win the ECAC year-end award. A member of the men's lacrosse team, Kovler was named a first-team All-America player and earned All-America honors four times. Kovler also was named twice as a first-team All-Ivy League selection. Lennox helped lead the men's swimming and diving team to Ivy League championships in 2006 and 2007. He earned first-team All-America honors and won four Ivy League individual championships during his career in his top stroke, the butterfly. Lennox also was a member of the Puerto Rican men's swimming team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Maag is one of the leading distance runners in Princeton history. He has been an All-America runner and a two-time NCAA championships participant, and was selected three times as a first-team All-Ivy League member. He is the University record-holder for the indoor 3,000-meter run, and he earned the second-best time in program history for the indoor mile. Sanchez led Princeton to four straight Ivy League men's squash championships, as well as four straight national team titles. He was the 2006 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Ivy League Player of the Year. Sanchez reached the national individual semifinals in all four years of his career and was a national finalist in both 2007 and 2009.

The C. Otto von Kienbusch Award was given to: Susannah Aboff, a psychology major from Huntington, N.Y.; Kathrine Giarra, a politics major from Herndon, Va; Parker Henritze, a politics major from Atlanta, Ga.; Holly McGarvie, an anthropology major from Medford, N.J.; and Jolee VanLeuven, a history major from Portland, Ore. Aboff, a member of the women's golf team, earned back-to-back individual championships at the Ivy League golf tournament this May. Her second Ivy League title helped Aboff earn an individual bid to the NCAA East Regional tournament. Aboff earned the 2009 Ivy League Player of the Year honor and she was the fifth Ivy League golfer and the second Princeton athlete to earn an All-Ivy spot for all four seasons that she played on the team. Giarra helped the women's swimming and diving team win three Ivy League titles during the past four years. She earned Ivy League Championships Diver of the Meet honors in 2007 and 2009, and received an All-America honorable mention. Henritze graduates as one of the most decorated volleyball players in Ivy League history. She is the only Princeton woman to earn both Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors in her career. Henritze also is a four-time All-Ivy selection and a three-time first-team selection. McGarvie was an integral part of both the field hockey and women's lacrosse teams. She helped lead the field hockey team to four Ivy League championships and two NCAA quarterfinal appearances. As a member of the lacrosse team, McGarvie was named the 2009 Ivy League Co-Player of the Year and had previously been named Ivy League Rookie of the Year. She helped lead her team to four NCAA women's lacrosse tournament appearances and will represent the United States this summer at the FIL Women's Lacrosse World Cup. VanLeuven was captain of both the cross-country and the track and field teams. She has earned four All-Ivy League honors and is a three-time Academic All-Ivy honoree. VanLeuven guided her teams to four Ivy League team titles and helped the 2008 cross-country team earn fifth place in the NCAA championship, the best finish in Princeton history.

The Arthur Lane '34 Award was given to: Adam Berry, an economics major from Bel Air, Md.; Joelle Milov, an art and archaeology major from Orlando, Fla; Agatha Offorjebe, an ecology and evolutionary biology from San Jose, Calif.; and Kristin Schwab, an ecology and evolutionary biology from Baltimore. The award is given to honor selfless contribution to sport and society by an undergraduate athlete. Berry was a wide receiver on the varsity football team for four years and served as team captain. He also worked with the Department of Athletics to improve recruiting strategies for black student-athletes. Milov, a member of the women's swimming and diving team, has served as a co-project coordinator with Special Olympics Swimming, a leader in the Learn to Swim program that offers free lessons to the Princeton community and the Bowl for Life program that raises money and awareness for organ donation. Milov also recently co-founded the Collegians for the Cure Cancer Walk program at Princeton in coordination with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She was honored by her teammates with the Friends of Princeton Swimming award, which is presented to a team member whose perseverance in practice and effort in competition have led to the greatest overall improvement. Offorjebe has earned All-America and All-Ivy distinctions as a member of the women's track and field team. She has served as a residential college adviser, vice president of the Varsity Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a founding member of the student-athlete wellness leaders and as co-chair of the University's Alcohol Coalition Committee. Schwab, a member of the field hockey team, served as a legal advocate and hotline counselor at the House of Ruth domestic violence center. She also volunteered at the University Medical Center at Princeton emergency room and in the neurosurgery department at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Schwab also was a Wilson College fellow, a wellness leader for the field hockey team and a tutor to local high school students.

Honorary class members

The class of 2009 also named four people as honorary class members: Katie Couric, "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor, and Class Day speaker; Claretta Carter, a retail food service worker in University Dining Services; Michael Maltabes, co-owner of Hoagie Haven; and Sean Weaver, director of student agencies/special projects in the University's Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.